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Scripture today: Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:16-21)

If you wish to read a video recording of the following reflection on today's Gospel reading, click here

In our Gospel passage today Luke describes the arrival of the first persons outside the Holy Family to lay eyes on the infant Messiah. They are the small group of shepherds who have come in from the hills in the district of Bethlehem where over a thousand years before David himself had been looking after sheep (1 Samuel 16:11). In passing, could we not see in their humble persons a representation of the

great David who, when king, had received the prophecy (2 Samuel 7:16) that his throne would be established forever? Could we not see in them the Israel that had awaited the fulfilment of all the prophecies? They came to see Christ the Lord, but let us notice who St Luke places at the forefront of our beautiful scene, which is so full of significance. One would expect that Joseph would have been the first to be mentioned among those whom the shepherds found at their arrival. He was the head of the family. But no, Mary is the first to be mentioned, for they “found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.” (Luke 2:16-21) In coming to see the Christ-child, they first “found” Mary and then Joseph with her. Presumably Luke had a purpose in expressing this detail. The wondering shepherds arrive and their hosts - principally Mary, but together with Joseph - reveal to them the divine Child. The Son of God became man and dwelt among us, and this happened through Mary his mother, supported and assisted by Joseph her husband. Let us place ourselves among the shepherds, and allow ourselves to be shown the majestic Child who has come to redeem and sanctify us by giving up his life for our sakes. If we want to meet Jesus, we could not do better than approach Mary to ask her, together with Joseph, to show Jesus to us.

This is the first day of the new year and we begin it celebrating the glories of Mary. The Almighty has done great things for her, and holy is his name. All generations now call her blessed. She is the royal mother all-glorious in heaven, and what an incomparable dignity is hers as the Mother of the Son of God made man! Just as the Father entrusted his divine Son to the womb and the keeping of the Virgin Mary, so undoubtedly does he entrust each of us who are members of his Son to her keeping too. Just as she nourished the Son of God, so she nourishes each of us who are adopted sons of God. This is surely confirmed by the words of her dying Son when he entrusted his beloved disciple to her care, and entrusted her to the keeping of his beloved disciple. And then, we are told, the beloved disciple took her to his own home. The Church has always seen in that interchange at Calvary a transaction which involved each of us. We received this great and holy mother to be our own mother, and she received all of us to be her children. Behind Mary and the Child stands Joseph their protector, and he now from heaven is the protector of the universal Church and each of the Church’s faithful. In celebrating the divine motherhood of Mary we celebrate the Incarnation of the Son of God and his redemption of all of us. Let us go to Mary - and to Joseph - to ask of her that she help us become like her Son. St Paul writes that we are to let this mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus, and our Lord tells us in the Gospel that we are to come to him and learn from him for he is meek and humble of heart. Mary can teach us this and can obtain for us by her prayers the grace to put on his likeness. She is the help of Christians.

Let us make a great resolution this day, at the start of another year, to grow in a true devotion to Mary, in which we entrust ourselves entirely to her keeping and promising to do what she wants. Our Lord entrusted himself to her keeping and our Gospel scene today is the portrayal of this. Let us resolve to belong to Mary as her children so that she can lead us to belong entirely to Jesus. She knows best how to do this. She is the first of all Christians. Let us entrust it to her, taking to heart what she said in the Gospel: “Do whatever he tells you.”
                                                                                                                             (E.J.Tyler)

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In times of general confusion it may seem as though God is not listening to your pleading with him on behalf of his souls, and is turning a deaf ear to your calls. You even reach the point of thinking that all your apostolic labours have been in vain. Don't worry! Carry on working with the same cheerfulness, the same energy, the same zeal. Allow me to insist: when you work for God, nothing is unfruitful.
                                          (The Forge, no.978)

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                 When did Jesus Christ institute the Eucharist?
Jesus instituted the Eucharist on Holy Thursday “the night on which he was betrayed” (1 Corinthians 11:23), as he celebrated the Last Supper with his apostles. (CCC 1323, 1337-1340)
                     (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.272)

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Memorial of Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the Church

(Tuesday before the Epiphany)

(January 2)    Basil (330-379) was a brilliant student born of a Christian family in Caesarea, Cappadocia (Turkey). For some years, he followed the monastic way of life. He vigorously fought the Arian heresy. He became Bishop of Caesarea in 370. The monks of the Eastern Churches today still follow the monastic rule which he set down. (Saints)
                      Gregory (330-390) was also from Cappadocia. A friend of Basil, he too followed the monastic way of life for some years. He was ordained priest and in 381 became Bishop of Constantinople. It was during this period when the Arian heresy was at its height. He was called “The Theologian” because of his great learning and talent for oratory. (Saints)

                 Scripture today:   1 John 2:22-28;     Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4;      John 1:19-28

And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites (to him) to ask him, "Who are you?" he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, "I am not the Messiah." So they asked him, "What are you then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." So they said to him, "Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?" He said: "I am 'the voice of one crying out in the desert, "Make straight the way of the Lord,"' as Isaiah the prophet said." Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. (John 1: 19-28)

If you wish to view a video broadcast of the following reflection on today's Gospel, click here

Our thoughts during these days of Christmastide are with the Child and his parents, out of sight of the world in their human obscurity. In Bethlehem few know of his existence, and hardly any know of his sublime Person and mission. He is the Child of the ages, long foretold and destined for a kingship that will never end. But how lowly are his circumstances! Compare his arrival with the fanfare associated with the arrival of the children

of the great, those children who are princes of this world. With the Christ-child all is silent, simple, poor in surroundings, and holy. The danger is that, like those who told the Holy Family that there was no room available for them, we too will take this Babe for granted and disregard him. There is an old saying, that familiarity breeds contempt. The point of this one-liner is that where there is familiarity such as in a family or workplace it is all too easy for reverence for the other person to fade away. So too there is a similar danger in our relations with Christ our Redeemer. If we do not work at it our thought of Christ will be reduced to a familiar image that has a certain place in our everyday memory, but it will lack the holy awe which ought mark our love for One who is not only a Person but a divine Person. And so the Church places before us today the testimony of John the Baptist (John 1: 19-28). He was slightly older than Jesus, and though not in the same locality nevertheless as his relative undoubtedly knew him. He did not yet know that he was the Messiah to come, but he had a profound appreciation of his transcendent holiness because when Jesus presented himself to John for baptism, John professed himself unworthy to do so. Let us take John as embodying the reverence for Jesus that ought distinguish our attitude to him.

So then, let us listen to the words of John in our Gospel today and make them our own. "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie" (John 1: 19-28). John announced the coming of the Messiah - who he was was yet to be revealed to him - and declared himself not worthy even to undo his sandal strap. If we are to gain the reverence towards the person of Jesus which is his due and which is the foundation of a true love for him, we must at the very least think carefully about him. That is to say, we must contemplate long and lovingly his very Person. Especially must we take most seriously his divinity. It was altogether obvious to all that our Lord was human. While the humanity of Jesus is the way to God, it is not his humanity that is difficult to appreciate. For this all we need do is exercise our religious imagination on what is offered us in the Gospel scenes, and indeed we must be doing this every day of our lives if we are ever to grow in a profound love for Jesus. But we must take especially seriously the testimony of the Gospels that the Man Jesus is divine. This is what makes this Child of Bethlehem, this Man whom John the Baptist is referring to in our Gospel today, so utterly, utterly unique. Our danger today is that of having a casual attitude to Jesus, of being like so many in his own lifetime - his own townspeople and so many who saw and heard him - who acted towards him as persons who were not in the know. The question of the ages is, where and who is God? Full of reverence and love, the Christian answers: There hs is! God is Jesus!

There was recently talk again of the astronomers trying to determine whether there is any planet like ours in any galaxy other than our own. If there is, it would open up the likelihood, so they think, of other humans being there. Whatever of that, what makes our earth so unique is that the great God became one of us. This Child of Bethlehem whom we celebrate in this Christmas season is this one God. Let us ponder the words of John in today’s Gospel so as to gain the reverence we ought have for Jesus Christ.
                                                                                                                    (E.J.Tyler)

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“Make straight the Lord’s path” as Isaiah the prophet said. ((John 1: 19-28)
                                         Blessed Guerric of Igny (around 1080 – 1157), Cistercian abbot (Sermon 5 for Advent)

“Prepare the way of the Lord.” Brothers, even if you have advanced greatly on this way, you still have to prepare it, so that from the point where you have already arrived, you might always go forward, always stretched out towards what is beyond. Thus, since the way has been prepared for his coming, with every step that you take, the Lord will come to meet you, always new, always greater. So the righteous person is right to pray thus: “Instruct me, O Lord, in the way of your statutes, that I may exactly observe them.” (Ps 119:33) And this way is called “the path of eternity” (Ps 139:24) … because the goodness of him towards whom we are advancing is unlimited.

That is why the wise and determined traveler, even though he has arrived at the goal, will think of beginning. “Giving no thought to what lies behind,” (Phil 3:13), he will tell himself every day: “Now I begin (Ps 76:11 Vulgata) … May it please heaven that we who talk about advancing on this path might at least have set out! To my understanding, whoever has set out is already on the good way. However, we must really begin, find “the way to an inhabited city” (Ps 107:4). For Truth says: “How few there are who find it!” (Mt 7:14) And many are those “who go astray in the desert.” (Ps 107:4)

And you, Lord, have prepared a path for us, if we only agree to go on it… Through your Law, you have taught us the path of your will by saying: “This is the way; walk in it, when you would turn to the right or to the left.” (Isa 30:21) It is the path that the prophet had promised: “A highway will be there… No fools go astray on it.” (Isa 35:8)… I have never seen a fool going astray when following your path, Lord… But woe to you who are wise in your own sight (Isa 5:21). Your wisdom has taken you away from the path of salvation and has not allowed you to follow the Saviour’s folly… A desirable folly, which at the time of God’s judgment will be called wisdom and which does not let us go astray, away from his path.
                                                               (Selected by "The Daily Gospel", New Hope, KY 40052. USA.)

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My child, all the seas of this world are ours and the places where it is harder to fish are the places where it is all the more necessary.
                                                     (The Forge, no.979)

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             How did he institute the Eucharist?
After he had gathered with his apostles in the Cenacle, Jesus took bread in his hands. He broke it and gave it to them saying, “Take this and eat it, all of you; this is my Body which will be given up for you”. Then, he took the cup of wine in his hands and said, “Take this and drink of this, all of you. This is the cup of my Blood, the Blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgive. Do this in memory of me”. (CCC 1337-1340, 1365, 1406)
                           (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.273)

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Wednesday before Epiphany

(January 3) Today let us think of Saint Genevieve (Saints)

          Scripture today: 1 John 2:29—3:6;       Psalm 98:1, 3cd-4, 5-6;       John 1:29-34

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” (John 1:29-34)

If you wish to view a video broadcast of the following reflection on today's Gospel, click here

During these days immediately following Christmas Day and the feast of the Holy Family we remain with Jesus at Nazareth during his infancy and through his youth to manhood. We contemplate those hidden years, undoubtedly years of peace and joy while buried with Mary and Joseph in God. Their ordinary life continued in the midst of their wider family circle and the life of the town. Little did the people

know who it really was who was in their midst all those years, but Mary and Joseph knew. Now, as we think of the wonder of this hidden phenomenon, the Church places before us day by day snapshots of the future when Christ’s true person would begin to be revealed. This assists our contemplation of who it is who quietly but very industriously works away at his daily tasks at Nazareth. Today the Church points to the future testimony of John the Baptist. He sees our Lord coming and points him out to his disciples as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29-34) This is what the angel had revealed to Joseph before the birth of the Child: he would free his people from their sins. The angel did not tell Joseph how he would do it, and John the Baptist gives no evidence of having been told how he would do it. Joseph was enlightened somewhat by Simeon during the presentation in the Temple when he heard Simeon say that the Child would be a sign of rejection, and that his wife Mary’s soul would be cut through with suffering. John the Baptist's use of the expression "Lamb of God" may indicate an intimation of a suffering Messiah but he was certainly perplexed by our Lord's ministry as it began to unfold, as we see from the question he asked his disciples to put to our Lord. But both knew that Jesus was the one who would take away the sin of the world. This is what we are reminded of in today’s Gospel text. The Jesus who was dwelling in Nazareth would liberate mankind from sin. What a task!

That is his redemptive mission: to take away the sin of the world. But the testimony of John in today’s text reminds us of more. Yes, Christ was to take away the sin of the world, but he was also to give to man the gift of the Holy Spirit. This was a stupendous gift. The Holy Spirit had been very active in the Old Testament and various priests, prophets and kings had been endowed with the Spirit of God for certain tasks. But Jesus had come to baptize with the Holy Spirit. Let us appreciate the significance of John being the one to say this. He himself had been baptizing all comers, all who professed repentance. One gets the impression that great numbers from Jerusalem and various parts of Judea and Galilee came to John for his baptism. They came, admitted their sins and asked God’s forgiveness. As an expression of their repentance and as a token of God’s forgiveness, they received the baptism of water. John had been sent to administer this baptism. But now there had arrived the anointed One who was sent to administer a different baptism to all comers. All who came to him in a spirit of repentance and faith would receive a baptism with the Holy Spirit. It would be for all comers who had the necessary dispositions. John’s baptism was a type of what was soon to come. This would be the gift of the boy, the youth, the young man at Nazareth to the human race. He would baptize with the Holy Spirit not just certain specially chosen prophets or kings, but all who repented and believed. Furthermore, John tells his hearers that he has “seen and testified” that Jesus is none other than “the Son of God.” (John 1:29-34) In these words of John the Baptist we have a rich source of revelation for our contemplation of the hidden Man of Nazareth during these days of Christmastide.

Let us place ourselves in the company of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and contemplate prayerfully their holy persons, so immersed in the ordinary course of daily life. Their lives at Nazareth were ordinary and it is clear that they did not stand out. Somehow their unique qualities went relatively unobserved. How grand was the ordinary life in their case! Let us resolve to follow them and to put on their mind.
                                                                                                                          (E.J.Tyler)

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“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29-34)
        J.B. Bossuet (1627-1704), bishop of Meaux
                                                    (Elevations on mysteries, 24th week, 2nd elevation)

Look at this Lamb of God that Isaiah saw in spirit as he represented him as the lamb who would not only let himself be sheared, but also skinned, and slain without opening his mouth (cf Is 53,7). The same Lamb of God that Jeremiah saw and represented in his person when he says: “I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter” (Jer 11,19). Here he is, this lamb so sweet, so simple, and so patient, without tricks, without deceit, that will be immolated for all sinners. He has already been sacrificed in figure, and one can say in truth that he has been killed and slain since the foundation of the world (Rv 13,8).

He was slaughtered in Abel the just; when Abraham had wanted to sacrifice his son, he started in figure what was going to be accomplished later on in Jesus Christ. We also see accomplished in him what had begun with Joseph's brothers: Jesus was hated, persecuted, pursued to death by his brothers; he was sold in the person of Joseph, thrown in a tank, meaning sent to his death. He was with Jeremiah in the deep lake, with the children in the furnace, with Daniel in the lions' pit. He was the one who was immolated in each sacrifice. He was in the sacrifice Noah offered as he came out of the ark, when he saw in the rainbow the sacrament of peace; he was in the sacrifices the Patriarchs offered on the mountain, in those Moses and all the law offered in the tabernacle and later on in the Temple: and having never stopped being immolated in figure, he now is immolated in truth.
                                        (Selected by "The Daily Gospel", New Hope, KY 40052. USA.)

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Through your Christian doctrine, your upright life and your work well done, you have to give good example to the people around you — relatives, friends, colleagues, neighbours, pupils — in the way you carry out your profession and fulfil the duties your job entails. You cannot be a shoddy worker.
(The Forge, no.980)

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                What does the Eucharist represent in the life of the Church?
It is the source and summit of all Christian life. In the Eucharist, the sanctifying action of God in our regard and our worship of him reach their high point. It contains the whole spiritual good of the Church, Christ himself, our Pasch. Communion with divine life and the unity of the People of God are both expressed and effected by the Eucharist. Through the eucharistic celebration we are united already with the liturgy of heaven and we have a foretaste of eternal life. (CCC 1324-1327,1407)
                        (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.274)

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Thursday before the Epiphany

(January 4) Today let us think of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious (Saints)

                 Scripture today:     1 John 3:7-10;      Psalm 98:1, 7-8, 9;       John 1:35-42

John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ. Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter. (John 1:35-42)

If you wish to view a video broadcast of the following reflection on today's Gospel reading, click here

I have always felt that among the many beautiful scenes of the Gospel this one at the beginning of our Lord’s public ministry is especially touching (John 1:35-42). The scene is played out from the point of view of the two disciples who had been disciples of John the Baptist - one of whom was Andrew the

brother of Simon Peter. They had been disciples of John and that alone tells us that they were young men of real quality and had absorbed his teaching. John their teacher now points them in a new direction. Without requiring it of them he intimates that they ought now follow the one whom he calls the Lamb of God. He is the One who will take away the sin of the world. John has prepared them to be disciples of the Messiah, helping them to become good soil for the Word who is God. And so our two disciples, hearing what John said, followed Jesus. They did so because they were good, and they yearned for greater goodness in God. At this, our Lord turned and, we may imagine, with a welcoming smile asked them what they were seeking. He knew the hearts of men (as St John says later in his Gospel) and he would have seen at a glance that they were following him because their hearts were seeking the God of holiness. His simple question led to their own, in which they asked our Lord where he lived. They were, in effect, asking him if they could follow him and be in his company. The very way they addressed our Lord suggests this, for they called him "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), thus right at the outset placing themselves in the position of disciples in the presence of a master. Our Lord’s invitation was immediate, that they come and see, come and see for themselves what being in his company and learning from him would be like. He was saying in effect, yes, come and follow me and consider being my disciples. They stayed with hm for the rest of that day and their lives were sealed.

That was the call. It was an initial one to be confirmed later on. But what is especially beautiful is the limpid description of their staying with Jesus for the rest of the day. Let us watch them accompanying Jesus along the journey after their initial meeting. They conversed with him, their hearts wide open to him because of the high testimony about him given by their former master, John the Baptist. They had accepted John’s teaching about him, and now they were privileged to be in his company and our Lord was fully accepting them into his friendship. Let us imagine the conversation as they walk on and as they finally arrive at where our Lord was staying. Perhaps it was not far from where John had been exercising his ministry and I suppose it was a dwelling constructed by our Lord himself for the simple and brief period that he planned to be with John the Baptist. Our Lord up to that point had been a carpenter by profession and so the dwelling would have been well up to the mark for all that was needed. So there our Lord received his new friends, extended to them his hospitality and friendship, and thus he gained his first disciples and two of the Twelve. The conversation continued in the little dwelling and grew in depth. It must have been a profoundly revealing and life changing few hours, because Andrew went to his brother Simon and told him with evident conviction that he had found the Messiah. The Messiah! To reach this conviction all it had needed was the testimony of John and some prime time with our Lord himself. There is a great lesson for us here. We have the testimony of the Scriptures and of the Church’s immense tradition as to the person of Jesus. What we need to do is to accept totally this testimony and then to spend plenty of time with Jesus. He will draw us into his friendship and reveal himself to us.

So let us resolve to spend time with Jesus every day and all through our lives. If we do this he will show himself to us and we shall become his disciples. Andrew, having come to know Jesus personally and to learn for himself the truth of what John had testified, went on immediately to introduce his brother Simon to the Lord. So too, if we come to know Jesus through personal prayer and adherence to the Church’s testimony, we shall be led to bring others to Jesus. Let us then adhere unfailingly to the Church’s teaching and make quality prayer central to our lives.
(E.J.Tyler)

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Sin has been effaced; incorruptibility has been given us (1 Cor 15:53); the precursor showed us that we have returned to grace by saying: “There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” He showed the certificate of settlement to those who had incurred a heavy debt. He who had already leapt for joy in his mother’s womb, today proclaimed it and made known the one who has appeared to us and who has illumined everything.

The Baptist proclaimed the mystery. He called the pastor the lamb, and not just lamb, but the lamb that effaces all our faults. “There is the Lamb,” he said. From now on, a scapegoat is no longer necessary (Lev 16:21). Raise your hands to him, all of you, by acknowledging your sins, for he came to take away the sins of the whole world along with those of the people. From the height of heaven, the Father sent us this gift: him who has appeared and who has illumined everything.

He has scattered the harmful night; thanks to him, all is noon. The light that never sets has shone forth on the world, Jesus our savior. In this abundance, the land of Zebulun imitates paradise, for the torrent of delight irrigates it and a stream of ever living water springs forth there… Today in Galilee, we contemplate the source of living water, him who has appeared and who has illumined everything (cf. Mt 4:15-16; Ps 36:9-10).
                                                        (Selected by "The Daily Gospel", New Hope, KY 40052. USA.)

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That close intimacy you have with Christ means that you have a duty to bear fruit. And yours will be a fruit that will satisfy the hunger of men who come up to you in your work, in your day-to-day life and in your family environment.
                                                          (The Forge, no.981)

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          What are the names for this sacrament?
The unfathomable richness of this sacrament is expressed in different names which evoke its various aspects. The most common names are: the Eucharist, Holy Mass, the Lord’s Supper, the Breaking of the Bread, the Eucharistic Celebration, the Memorial of the passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord, the Holy Sacrifice, the Holy and Divine Liturgy, the Sacred Mysteries, the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, and Holy Communion. (CCC 1328-1332)
                        (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.275)

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Friday before the Epiphany

(January 5) Today let us think of Saint John Neumann, bishop (Saints)

            Scripture today: 1 John 3:11-21;    Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5;    John 1:43-51

Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:43-51)

If you wish to view a video broadcast of the following reflection on today's Gospel, click here

According to St John’s account of the first meeting between our Lord and some of the Twelve, it took them very little time to recognize that he was the long awaited Messiah. We ought try to appreciate the significance of this. The true Hebrew entertained a great expectation of the Messiah, for the Scriptures made it plain that the Messiah was to come and that through him God would establish his

Kingdom. The hopes of salvation held by the true Israelite were pinned on the Anointed One. We remember the saintly Simeon and the prophetess Anna who looked forward to the coming of the Christ. Our Gospel scene today places us at the threshold of our Lord’s public ministry in the immediate aftermath of his own baptism and of John the Baptist’s identification of him as the Messiah. We are told in our passage today that our Lord “found Philip” - implying that the initiative in Philip’s case came from our Lord who invited him to “follow me.” (John 1:43-51) It seems that Philip responded immediately and told Nathanael that “we have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus”. So Philip had quickly and definitively arrived at the truth about Jesus: Jesus of Nazareth was the fulfilment of the Law and the prophets. Our gaze then turns to Nathanael to whom Philip had given his testimony. Nathanael seems to have been doubtful in view of our Lord’s town of origin, but again it did not take long for Nathanael to decide that Jesus was “the Son of God”, the “King of Israel.” At his first encounter with Jesus, in a matter of seconds, he attained the very goal of John’s Gospel which was that it might be seen that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).

How do we account for this speedy acquisition of divine faith on the part of the first disciples mentioned here? We are given an important clue in the very words of our Lord as he sees Nathanael approaching him. “Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, ‘Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him’.” Nathanael was a person who lived in the truth and would have nothing to do with anything but the truth. He was disposed from the depths of his heart to accept and to perceive the truth and especially the truth coming from God. That is to say, fundamental dispositions have everything to do with arriving at the truth about God and, in particular, about Jesus. So very much depends on where we are coming from, on our fundamental starting points, on what we regard as truly important, on what we are expecting - in a word, on our basic dispositions. The good man will differ in these respects from the one who is not good. The problem is that we are generally quite unaware of where we are coming from - this is something only God knows because he alone sees our hearts. Therefore we must pray that God will gradually give us the right starting points, the right first principles and basic assumptions that will direct us to the truth of Christ. All the testimony in the world about Christ will not help us if our tastes, our preferences and our will is not properly disposed. That having been said, at the same time what is also evident from our Gospel text is that the testimony of others played a very important part in bringing these first apostles to Christ. In our case today, it was the testimony of Philip that led Nathanael to Jesus. In yesterday’s Gospel passage it was the testimony of Andrew that led Simon his brother to Jesus.

So then, let us pray for grace to be good soil open to the seed that is the word of God, and for others to be good soil too. Let us also pray that we shall be open to the testimony given to us especially by the Church our mother, and by all those who have come to know the Lord. Let us also pray that others will be moved by the grace of God to listen docilely to the testimony to Christ offered to them during the course of their life. If a person is properly disposed and open to the Church's testimony he will discover the God of revelation.
                                                                                                                       (E.J.Tyler)

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“You shall see the sky opened”   (John 1:43-51)
                        Guillaume of Saint-Thierry (around 1085-1148), Benedictine, then Cistercian monk
                                                                                             (Meditative prayers VI, 5-7)

If it is enough to see two or three united in your name here below so as to see you in their midst (Mt 18:20) …, what can we say about the place where you have united all the saints who have “made a covenant with you by sacrifice” and who have become like “the heavens that proclaim your justice”? (Ps 50:5-6)

Your beloved disciple was not the only one who found the path that ascends to heaven; he was not the only one to whom an open door in heaven was shown (Rev 4:1). For you declared it to everyone by your own mouth: “I am the door. Whoever enters through me will be safe.” (Jn 10:9) So you are the door, and according to what you added, you open it to everyone who wants to enter.

But of what use is it to us to see an open door in heaven while we are on earth, if we don’t have the means to ascend there? Saint Paul gives us the answer: “He who ascended is the very one who descended.” (Eph 4:9) Who is he? Love. For, Lord, it is love that goes up to you from our hearts, because it is love that came down from you to us. Because you loved us, you came down to us; by loving you, we will be able to ascend to you. You who said: “I am the door,” in your name I beg you to open yourself before us. Then we will see more clearly to which dwelling you are the door and when and to whom you open it.
                                                          (Selected by "The Daily Gospel", New Hope, KY 40052. USA.)

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When you carry out your duties in a cheerful and generous way you obtain abundant grace from God for other souls also.
                                              (The Forge, no.982)

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            Where does the Eucharist fit in the divine plan of salvation?
The Eucharist was foreshadowed in the Old Covenant above all in the annual Passover meal celebrated every year by the Jews with unleavened bread to commemorate their hasty, liberating departure from Egypt. Jesus foretold it in his teaching and he instituted it when he celebrated the Last Supper with his apostles in a Passover meal. The Church, faithful to the command of her Lord, “Do this in memory of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24), has always celebrated the Eucharist, especially on Sunday, the day of the Resurrection of Jesus. (CCC 1333-1344)
                           (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.276)

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Saturday before Epiphany

(January 6) Today let us think of Blessed Andre Bessett   (Saints)

Scripture today: 1 John 5:5-13;   Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20;   Mark 1:7-11 or Luke 3:23-38

When Jesus began his ministry he was about thirty years of age. He was the son, as was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. (Luke 3:23, 31-34, 36, 38)

      or

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:7-11)

If you wish to view a video broadcast of the following reflection on today's Gospel, click here

Each day during this brief season of Christmastide we are contemplating in the Gospel passages various aspects of the person of Jesus, born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth. Today we have two alternative Gospel texts, one from Mark and the other from Luke, to help us in our prayerful consideration of Jesus. In each text we are taken to the threshold of his public ministry, and in introducing us to him Luke gives us a genealogy which traces our Lord back to David, Abraham

and Adam (Luke 3:23, 31-34, 36, 38). That is to say Jesus Christ is a true member of our human race and a true Hebrew. He is no angel, no demiurge or exalted creature such as the fourth century Arius described him. No, he is truly a man. He is a man with a mission far beyond any other. In the history of the world and in the history of religions, who ever heard of a man with the mission to take away the sin of the world and to pour out the Spirit of God on mankind? Even if, outside of the revelation vouchsafed us by God, there were to be a person or a tradition which recognized the fact and unimaginable proportions of the world’s sin, who would know how to take it away? I once watched a television debate between a Jewish rabbi and a Christian (protestant) theologian. It was interesting to see that the Jewish rabbi did not allow for the world being under the power of a transmitted original sin and that this sin was able to be removed. Islam does not accept the notion of “the sin of the world” into which man is born, and from which man needs to be, and has been, redeemed. Such views exclude the need of a Redeemer of the world in the Christian sense. Now, this is exactly what Christianity professes, and the Redeemer is a man like us in all things - except, of course, that he is free of the sin from which he came to redeem us.

Thus Luke's passage shows Jesus to be a man like us. But he is far more as well. In our alternative Gospel text today St Mark tells us that “on coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’.”(Mark 1:7-11) God is manifestly speaking and he is revealing something more about the man Jesus. Jesus is his beloved Son and this is how our Lord constantly refers to himself. He himself is “the Son” and God is his “Father”. We remember how the angel told Joseph in a dream that the Child would be “called the Son of the Most High.” When Mary and Joseph found the boy Jesus in the Temple after their three day search, he told them that he had been about the affairs (or in the house) of “my Father.” Nor did our Lord authorize any of his disciples to speak of God as “my Father” in the same sense that he did. On rising from the dead he told Mary Magdalene to go to the brothers and tell them that he was ascending to “to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’.” On the occasion of his baptism as narrated in our Gospel today, then, we have a manifestation of the three persons who are the One God. The Father speaks from heaven, the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus, and Jesus himself is shown to be the Son. So while Jesus is truly man, he is at the same time one of the three divine persons, and he comes from the bosom of the Father. He is not simply the most exalted of God's creatures, as Arius would have it. We ought never get over the historical phenomenon of one who was truly man and who was God the Son, the very same God as is the Father. His coming among us revealed the Blessed Trinity and enabled us to share their life. Let us preserve in our hearts a holy and reverential wonder at the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God.

St Paul writes in one of his Letters that in Christ we have been granted every heavenly blessing. How could this not be so if we accept that the man Jesus is the promised Messiah and the Son of God? There is no blessing in heaven or on earth greater than he. He is God’s gift to our race, and in him we find light and all that our hearts are made for. God made us for Jesus. Jesus is the object of our life and the object of all creation. If we totally accept him as such and live accordingly, God will be all in all.
                                                                                                                   (E.J.Tyler)

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"Jesus.. was ..... the son of Adam" (Luke 3:23, 31-34, 36, 38)
                St Irenaeus of Lyons, (130- 208), bishop, theologian and martyr (Against Heresies, III, 22, 3.4; 23,1)

Wherefore Luke points out that the pedigree which traces the generation of our Lord back to Adam contains seventy-two generations, connecting the end with the beginning, and implying that it is He who has summed up in Himself all nations dispersed from Adam downwards, and all languages and generations of men, together with Adam himself. Hence also was Adam himself termed by Paul "the figure of Him that was to come," (Rom 5:14) because the Word, the Maker of all things, had formed beforehand for Himself the future dispensation of the human race, connected with the Son of God…

For the Lord, having been born "the First-begotten of the dead (Col 1:18), and receiving into his bosom the ancient fathers, has regenerated them into the life of God, He having been made Himself the beginning of those that live, as Adam became the beginning of those who die. Wherefore also Luke, commencing the genealogy with the Lord, carried it back to Adam, indicating that it was He who regenerated them into the Gospel of life, and not they Him. And thus also it was that the knot of Eve's disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the Virgin Mary set free through faith.

It was necessary, therefore, that the Lord, coming to the lost sheep, and making recapitulation of so comprehensive a dispensation, and seeking after His own handiwork, should save that very man who had been created after His image and likeness, that is, Adam.
                                                                               (Selected by "The Daily Gospel", New Hope, KY 40052. USA.)

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Make an effort to spread your Christian spirit to the world about you, so that there may be many friends of the Cross.
                                             (The Forge, no.983)

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                How is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist carried out?
The Eucharist unfolds in two great parts which together form one, single act of worship. The Liturgy of the Word involves proclaiming and listening to the Word of God. The Liturgy of the Eucharist includes the presentation of the bread and wine, the prayer or the anaphora containing the words of consecration, and communion. (CCC 1345-1355, 1408)
                 (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.277)

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The Epiphany of the Lord C

(January 7) St Raymond of Penyafort, priest (1175-1275). Born in Barcelona, Spain, he was the third Superior-General of the Dominican Order. He is famous for his work in the freeing of slaves. He wrote the five books of the Decretals which are now a valuable part of the Canon Law of the Church. The Summa Casuum, which is about the correct and fruitful administration of the Sacrament of Penance, is the most notable of his works. (Saints)

Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-6;    Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13;     Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage." After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. (Matthew 2,1-12)

If you wish to view a video broadcast of the following reflection on today's Gospel, click here

Any student of literature will know that discussion about the significance of certain great works goes on endlessly. Shakespeare lived four hundred years ago and produced a body of drama and poetry that is the work of genius, and there is no end to the analysis that it has

generated. In effect it means that it is very difficult to arrive definitively at an agreed meaning of various of his works because within a short time that meaning will be challenged by yet another Shakespearean scholar. And so it is in so many fields of human learning. Well then, what are we to say of the greatest personality of human history, and the thoughts of men about him? That person is Jesus of Nazareth, and ever since our Lord asked his disciples what men were saying of him, judgments about the meaning of his life have been unending. But in his case there is this difference that we can determine definitively the meaning of his life because it is not up to the ebb and flow of private judgment. There is a divinely constituted authority. The significance of Christ and his work is set forth in the Creed and in the dogmas and formal teachings of the Church. No one can overturn them and they are to be accepted with confidence as coming from God who guides the Church in her understanding of and teaching about Jesus. For instance, the Nicene Creed which we recite every Sunday at Mass tells us that “for us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven”. That tells us the meaning of Christ’s life and work. Or again, we read in the Gospel of St John that “there were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples saw, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name” (John 20:31). In that inspired sentence it is clearly stated who Christ is and how we are to interpret his work and the various events of his life, such as the Epiphany of the Lord which we are celebrating today.

We are in the liturgical season of Christmastide and today we think of the manifestation of our Lord to the wise men from the East. I suppose many other incidents in our Lord’s infancy could have been described in the Gospel, but this quiet but unusual event was selected by St Matthew because it illustrated a point of great significance in the life and mission of Jesus (Matthew 2,1-12). One of the especially notable features of St Matthew’s Gospel is that he shows that Jesus is a Hebrew descended directly from Abraham, and his person, his life and his work are the fulfilment of the Hebrew Scriptures and the expectations of the chosen people of Israel. But Matthew also shows that he is not just a great Hebrew for the Hebrews. He is the Saviour of the world, the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords, the Redeemer of all men of all ages, the one and only way to the Father for all, the light of the world for all men. By him all the nations will be blessed. Thus it was that after he rose from the dead our Lord said that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to him, and that therefore his disciples were to go to the whole world and make disciples of all the nations. He was not just one prophet among many as Islam would have it, nor even just the greatest (which Islam does not allow). He was not just - as the Dalai Lama once said - one more instance of the Buddha. No, he is the one and only Redeemer of men, the world’s only totally sufficient and true Light. That this was at the forefront of the divine mind we see in the fact of God choosing to lead some wise men (we are not told the number) from the pagan East to venerate the newborn Child. It is, we could say, the Father celebrating the arrival of his Son among us with a quiet but significant gesture. Pagans, acting according to their lights and assisted from heaven, came from afar. Without realizing it, in their persons they symbolically presented the entire Gentile world before this infant who was King of the Jews and King of the world. They were a symbol of the vocation of mankind to prostrate before this Child. They were a harbinger of countless others down through the ages who would accept Christ as their King. Indeed, we ourselves were represented by those wise men from the East, because we who accept and love Christ are not sprung from the race of David, but from various other peoples.

Let us prayerfully remember the visit of the wise men as they paid homage to the infant King. With the certain knowledge we have of who this Child is and of the meaning of his life, death and resurrection for the redemption and sanctification of all mankind, let us gratefully receive him into our hearts as our Lord and King, and resolve to bring others to the knowledge and love of him who is King of the ages.
(E.J.Tyler)

Further reading: The Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.514-521

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“They prostrated themselves and did him homage.” (Matthew 2,1-12)

             St John Chrysostom (345 – 407), Bishop of Antioch, then of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church
                                                                                         (Homilies on St. Matthew, 7-8)

Brothers, let us follow the magi, let us leave our pagan customs. Let us depart! Let us make a long journey so as to see Christ. If the magi had not left and gone a long way from their country, they would not have seen Christ. Let us also leave earth’s interests. So long as they remained in their country, the magi saw only the star; but when they left their homeland, they saw the Sun of justice (Mal 3:20). Or rather, let us say: if they had not generously set out on their journey, they would not even have seen the star. Thus, let us also rise up, and even if everyone in Jerusalem is troubled, let us run to where the Child is…

“On entering the house, they found the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their coffers and presented him with gifts.” What motivated them to prostrate themselves before this child? There was nothing remarkable in the Virgin or in the house, no object that could have struck their eye and attracted them. And yet, not content with prostrating themselves, they opened their treasure, gifts that are not given to a human being but only to God – frankincense and myrrh symbolize divinity. What was their reason for acting in this way? The same as that which made them decide to leave their homeland, to depart on this long journey. It was the star, that is to say, the light with which God had filled their heart and which led them little by little to a more perfect knowledge. If there hadn’t been that light, how could they have given such homage when what they saw was so poor and humble? If there is not material grandeur but only a crib, a stable, a mother who is lacking in everything, it is so that you might see the magi’s wisdom more clearly, so that you understand that they came not to a human being but to a God, to their benefactor.
                                                                            (Selected by "The Daily Gospel", New Hope, KY 40052. USA.)

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As well as having given you abundant and effective grace, the Lord has given you a brain, a pair of hands and intellectual powers so that your talents may yield fruit. God wants to work miracles all the time — to raise the dead, make the deaf hear, restore sight to the blind, enable the lame to walk... — through your sanctified professional work, which you will have turned into a holocaust that is both pleasing to God and useful to souls.
                                           (The Forge, no.984)

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   Who is the minister for the celebration of the Eucharist?
The celebrant of the Eucharist is a validly ordained priest (bishop or priest) who acts in the Person of Christ the Head and in the name of the Church. (CCC 1348, 1411)
                          (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.278)

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Thoughts on the Epiphany, by Fr Gerald O’Collins SJ

Led by a flickering star

The Epiphany, the traditional name for the feast celebrated on 6 January (this year on 7 January for the first time in the Catholic Church in England and Wales) means manifestation, recalling how Christ was disclosed in his divine identity to the Magi, remarkable figures from the East who represented all those from around the world who would also come to pay homage to him. In the way he tells the story of the Magi, Matthew inserts at least three contrasts: opportunities lost or taken, human wickedness overcome by the loving goodness of God, and a birth that prefigures a violent death.

Matthew packs a lot into his story of the coming of the Magi, and Christian tradition has elaborated the story even further. Since the wise men brought three gifts for the Christ Child, they were quickly assumed to be three in number and were supplied with names: Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar. They were understood to represent the three known continents (Asia, Europe and Africa), which explains why painters usually represented one of them (Balthasar) as black.

Matthew calls them "Magi" - that is to say, learned astronomers found in ancient Persia. Tradition soon upgraded them and they became oriental kings, a splendid gift for later artists who supplied them with crowns, decked them out in exotic clothing, and provided them with camels for their transport. Hollywood has followed suit. Riding through the desert the Magi filled the screen brilliantly in the current film The Nativity Story (see The Tablet, 9 December 2006).

The rich gifts that the Magi took from their treasure chests and presented to the Holy Child pointed to his unique dignity as "Emmanuel" or "God-with-us", and the value of these gifts underlined the worship that the Magi offered when they knelt before him. The Nativity Story captures their reverent homage with fresh intensity.

From early times Christians inevitably wanted to detect a particular significance in each of their gifts. The gold was believed to symbolise the royal kingship of Christ, the frankincense to indicate his divinity, and the myrrh to symbolise the mortal human condition that the Son of God assumed at his conception and birth. Since myrrh was used in the Middle East to embalm corpses, it was understood to refer, specifically, to Christ's coming Passion, death and burial. In the popular carol We Three Kings of Orient Are, a whole verse is dedicated to that gift: "Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume/ breathes a life of gathering gloom;/ sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,/ sealed in the stone-cold tomb."

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), despite being blessed with a mystical prayer-life, endorsed a different, down-to-earth explanation of the three gifts. The gold was to support the Holy Family on their journey to Egypt, the incense was to freshen the atmosphere in the stinking stable, and the myrrh was to deliver the newborn Christ Child from any worms that infested his intestines.

In these and further ways Christian tradition embroidered the story of the Magi. But while all this gorgeous overlay may be innocent and sometimes helpful, it could distract us from Matthew's central message that is rich in detail.

His narrative is structured by several vivid contrasts. First, the Magi come from a great distance, and do not know the Holy Scriptures that might otherwise have guided them directly to Bethlehem. They are led by a flickering star - or by three planets that come together in a rare coincidence (if you follow the theory adopted by The Nativity Story). Yet they reach the goal of their journey and find their holy grail, the Christ Child himself. Before doing so, they stop in Jerusalem and enquire as to the whereabouts of "the Child who has been born king of the Jews". Their question startles not only King Herod but also "all Jerusalem with him" (Matthew 2: 3).

Herod calls together "all the chief priests and scribes of the people". They tell him that, according to the biblical promise, the Messiah is to be born in nearby Bethlehem. Herod sends the Magi on their way to Bethlehem to locate for him the newborn Messiah, pretending that he too wants to pay homage to him. Some of the priests, scribes or other inhabitants of Jerusalem could easily have joined the Magi on the short journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, but none of them does so. Those who possess the Holy Scriptures and live near the birthplace of Christ fail to take advantage of their blessings. Those who live far away make the most of the few chances they have been given and succeed in discovering their Saviour.

The theme of lost opportunities haunts Matthew. The Magi are the first example of Gentile outsiders who, unlike many of Matthew's fellow Jews, win their way through to faith in Jesus. The most striking example of such a person turns up straight after the death of Jesus. The centurion, the officer who has been in charge of the Crucifixion, blurts out a confession, in which he is joined by the soldiers with him: "Indeed, this man was the Son of God" (Matthew 27: 54). The gospel ends with the risen Christ commissioning his close followers to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28: 19). Clearly Matthew rejoices that the divine salvation goes out to the whole world. But